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FFL: Week 6 | NFL: Week 6

QB Strength of Schedule

Thu May 23 11:12am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

Prescott setup for big success


Using our rules for our money leagues, we came up with a schedule strength ranking for the quarterback position. We are using our fantasy defenses report to calculate the rankings. This report can be found in all of our leagues under the "reports" heading. We took the schedule of each team and entered the average number of fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks last season from all of their opponents to get our fantasy points allowed number. This is a good indication of the quarterbacks with the most favorable schedules for fantasy scoring for the coming season. Defenses obviously change from year to year, but knowing the quarterbacks that might have the easiest schedule for fantasy is always a good idea when formulating your rankings and draft strategy.

  QB SOS  
1. Miami Dolphins 313.6
2. Cincinnati Bengals 314.77
3. Los Angeles Chargers 317.32
4. Denver Broncos 317.38
5. Pittsburgh Steelers 320.33
6. Houston Texans 320.74
7. Buffalo Bills 321.01
8. Philadelphia Eagles 323.71
9. Kansas City Chiefs 325.08
10. Washington Commanders 325.12
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 326.4
12. Jacksonville Jaguars 328.45
13. New York Jets 329.06
14. New England Patriots 329.64
15. Cleveland Browns 330.31
16. Los Angeles Rams 330.72
17. Arizona Cardinals 331.54
18. Indianapolis Colts 331.69
19. Seattle Seahawks 332
20. Atlanta Falcons 332.73
21. Baltimore Ravens 333.05
22. San Francisco 49ers 333.05
23. Detroit Lions 334.13
24. Las Vegas Raiders 334.38
25. New York Giants 334.72
26. New Orleans Saints 336.27
27. Minnesota Vikings 337.2
28. Dallas Cowboys 339.64
29. Chicago Bears 340.70
30. Tennessee Titans 343.69
31. Carolina Panthers 345.54
32. Green Bay Packers 349.53


The Packers have the easiest fantasy schedule for quarterbacks. Jordan Love already had a breakout season last year and could take his game to an even higher level this season. Love is shaping up to be a really intriguing QB1 this season. He is a player on the rise and seems setup for even more success this year.

A couple second-year quarterbacks have really favorable schedules, Will Levis and Bryce Young. Both seem like good No. 2 fantasy quarterbacks to take a chance. Their teams did well in upgrading the talent around them this offseason and a favorable schedule bodes well for them to take some steps forward this year.

Caleb Williams was the No.1 overall pick and the Bears gave him plenty of firepower to work with in year one. Williams has a lot of good going for him this year and could be the C.J. Stroud of this year’s rookie class. And having a favorable fantasy schedule helps Williams even more.

A couple veterans with favorable schedules are Dak Prescott and Derek Carr. Prescott is the one that stands out the most. The Cowboys are lacking top options at the running back spot, so it would not surprise if the Cowboys are really pass-heavy offensively. Prescott could really rack up the numbers this year.

There are some big-name quarterbacks on the opposite side of things, having very tough fantasy schedules. Tua Tagovalioa has the toughest schedule of all. He struggled a little down the stretch last year and now has the most unfavorable schedule for any fantasy quarterback. This is a little concerning.

Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and whoever is starting in Pittsburgh, likely Russell Wilson, are other veteran quarterbacks that have a top-five unfavorable schedule for fantasy quarterbacks. Burrow is not a huge concern for us because we think they will still have success throwing the ball and he has a ton of talent around him at receiver. Herbert is a concern. The Chargers lost their top two receivers and could be a lot more run-heavy with a new coach in place. Herbert has some red flags for him this coming year, making him a bit of a risky pick for fantasy teams. Wilson is another veteran with a tough schedule. He also has Justin Fields pushing him to play, so Wilson is going to be a boom or bust fantasy pick.

We also wanted to look at playoff schedules for fantasy quarterbacks. So we crunched the numbers of all the schedules from Week 14-17, which is the fantasy playoffs for most leagues. We know you have to get to the playoffs first, but knowing the quarterbacks with the easiest playoff schedules doesn’t hurt by any means, especially in the big money contests.

  QB PLAYOFF SOS  
1. Jacksonville Jaguars 292.02
2. Houston Texans 299.33
3. New York Giants 301.93
4. Miami Dolphins 307.48
5. Los Angeles Rams 308.45
6. Detroit Lions 312.4
7. Arizona Cardinals 313.15
8. Kansas City Chiefs 313.45
9. Buffalo Bills 313.6
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 317.53
11. Cincinnati Bengals 318.03
12. Baltimore Ravens 318.25
13. Green Bay Packers 322.48
14. Indianapolis Colts 322.83
15. Pittsburgh Steelers 328.78
16. Philadelphia Eagles 331.23
17. Cleveland Browns 331.95
18. Minnesota Vikings 334.68
19. Atlanta Falcons 336.18
20. Carolina Panthers 338.62
21. Seattle Seahawks 338.65
22. Las Vegas Raiders 341.18
23. Los Angeles Chargers 341.22
24. New York Jets 344.3
25. New Orleans Saints 346.68
26. Chicago Bears 347.07
27. Tennessee Titans 348.42
28. New England Patriots 355.23
29. Denver Broncos 355.35
30. Dallas Cowboys 359.62
31. Washington Commanders 359.92
32. San Francisco 49ers 363.47


There is just a team that makes both the top-five favorable quarterback schedule for the regular season and playoffs. That team is the Cowboys. So Dak Prescott has the third easiest playoff schedule in addition to having the fifth easiest regular season schedule. Prescott was a player looking pretty good even before seeing these schedules, so you might want to bump him up a few spots in your rankings after seeing this. Prescott could be a league winner in 2024.

The 49ers actually have the easiest fantasy quarterback schedule for the playoffs. So Brock Purdy could have a great run during the fantasy playoffs. He always has a high weekly ceiling, so things are looking great for him this postseason.

Now some rookie quarterbacks round out the team of having top-five fantasy quarterback playoff schedules. Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix and Drake Maye are all likely starting for their teams later in the season, so they should help fantasy teams during the playoffs. They all have some question marks surrounding them but could be worth the gamble, especially if you have a dependable starter already on your roster. These rookies could make some noise late in the season.

On the opposite side of things, the Dolphins are the only team to have both a top-five unfavorable fantasy quarterback schedule for the regular season and playoffs. We already had a few concerns for Tagovalioa even before these schedules were released. And now seeing he has very challenging schedules for both the regular season and playoffs make him a player you might want to avoid come draft day.

Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars have the toughest schedule for the playoffs. Lawrence has not lived up to expectations to date. He could have his best season to date this year, but his schedule during the playoffs is concerning. Lawrence could struggle when it matters most.

C.J. Stroud is the biggest name of any quarterback with a top-five unfavorable playoff schedule. We aren’t too concerned about this because some players can rise above the challenge. Stroud is one of those players. Things will be tougher for him in year two, but he will also progress and get better. Plus, he has Stefon Diggs added to the mix, which should improve that passing game even more.

Daniel Jones is another quarterback with a challenging playoff schedule. He is another fringe draft pick to begin with, so seeing him possibly have struggles down the stretch causes more trepidation when it comes to possibly drafting him. He might be another player to just steer clear of come draft day.

Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at [email protected]. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.

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Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 6

Player Notes
Matthew Wright Oct 10 12:40am CT
Matthew Wright

San Francisco 49ers kicker Matthew Wright will look to make a good impression in his 2024 debut in Seattle on Thursday night. Wright was signed early in the week after starting kicker Jake Moody suffered a high ankle sprain on Sunday against the Cardinals. Originally signed out of the University of Central Florida in 2020, Wright has bounced around the league, including multiple stints with Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Carolina, and San Francisco. His most productive year was 2021 with Jacksonville when he played in 14 games. Wright owns a career field goal percentage of 85.1, hitting 40 of 47 attempts. His career-long is 59 yards. While Wright is not as talented as Moody, the biggest factor in choosing a fantasy kicker is the strength of the offense, so for fantasy managers who see San Francisco spending a lot of time in Seahawks territory, Wright is a decent option. That said, there are probably safer bets available in most leagues.

From RotoBaller

Charvarius Ward Oct 10 12:20am CT
Charvarius Ward

The San Francisco 49ers D/ST unit is in Seattle in Week 6 to take on the Seahawks for the first of two 2024 matchups. The 49ers contributed nicely to fantasy scores in Week 5 against Arizona, the highlight being a blocked field goal for a touchdown by defensive back Deommodore Lenoir. The touchdown did a lot of salvage work though, as San Francisco only had one sack, one interception, and they allowed 24 points. Seattle's offense has been good, and comes in fully healthy, ranking seventh in the NFL in yards per game and 11th in points scored. The 49ers will be without starting safety Talanoa Hufanga (wrist) and starting cornerback Charvarius Ward (knee) is questionable. Treat the Niners' DST as a startable, but not elite choice in Week 6.

From RotoBaller

David Njoku Oct 10 12:20am CT
David Njoku

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (knee, ankle) was absent from practice on Wednesday. The talented tight end finally returned from an ankle injury in Week 5, but within mere minutes, he picked up a new knee injury. Njoku has yet to play a full game this season, and Wednesday's practice status suggests that he could end up being sidelined for Week 6, too. If that's the case, Jordan Akins will step up as the Browns' top tight end, ranking as a mid-to-low TE2 in fantasy football.

From RotoBaller

Mike Gesicki Oct 10 12:00am CT
Mike Gesicki

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki (hamstring) did not practice on Wednesday. As the Bengals prepare for Week 6 against the New York Giants, there's a real chance they could be without their starting veteran tight end. Gesicki has 17 catches and 178 yards this year, but most of that production came over the first three weeks. His role has been drastically scaled back over the last two weeks, and now, it looks like he could be sidelined for Week 6. If so, rookie Erick All Jr., who has 14 catches through his last four games, would jump into the mid-to-low TE2 tier for fantasy football.

From RotoBaller

Will Levis Oct 10 12:00am CT
Will Levis

Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis (right shoulder) was a full participant during practice on Wednesday. The young signal-caller injured himself back in Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins, but a conveniently placed Week 5 bye allowed him to get healthy in time for the Titans' upcoming game against Indianapolis. The 25-year-old has been a turnover machine this year, logging six interceptions, three lost fumbles, and just four passing touchdowns so far. He should be avoided in fantasy football, ranking outside the top 24 fantasy quarterbacks.

From RotoBaller

Rashod Bateman Oct 9 11:50pm CT
Rashod Bateman

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (groin) was sidelined from practice on Wednesday. Bateman is a new addition to the injury report as he was not banged up heading into last Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The 24-year-old has posted modest stats through five games this season, tallying 13 catches, 202 yards, and two touchdowns. So far, he's the overall WR52 in fantasy football and should only be started in leagues with 14 teams or more. Of course, that's contingent on him being healthy. There is a real chance that Bateman's DNP on Wednesday eventually leads to him being inactive against the Washington Commanders in Week 6.

From RotoBaller

Joey Bosa Oct 9 11:40pm CT
Joey Bosa

Los Angeles Chargers running back Gus Edwards (ankle) and defensive end Joey Bosa (hip) were both sidelined during Wednesday's practice. Edwards opened the summer as the favorite to lead Los Angeles' backfield, but he quickly lost his role to J.K. Dobbins. Edwards now has just 113 rushing yards, two receiving yards, and zero touchdowns this year, so even if he makes significant progress and manages to play in Week 6, he'd be off the fantasy radar. Bosa, on the other hand, is off to an impactful start in 2024. The 29-year-old registered seven tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble back in Week 1. However, injuries have sidelined him for almost every snap since then, and he's still banged up on the other side of Los Angeles' Week 6 bye. His status should be closely monitored this week, but he's trending in the wrong direction.

From RotoBaller

Darnell Mooney Oct 9 11:40pm CT
Darnell Mooney

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (knee) was a limited participant during practice on Wednesday. While seeing the 26-year-old on the injury report in any capacity is not ideal, fantasy managers should find some relief in the fact that he did manage to get on the field for portions of practice to open Week 6. Mooney is coming off a big game in which he caught nine of 16 targets for 105 yards and two touchdowns. While that type of production isn't sustainable given that Kirk Cousins won't eclipse 500 passing yards every week, there's no denying that Mooney's role is growing within the Atlanta offense. He should be treated as a WR3/FLEX option going forward.

From RotoBaller

Justin Herbert Oct 9 11:30pm CT
Justin Herbert

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (ankle) was limited during practice on Wednesday. While a limited status on the first practice of the week isn't anything to panic about, it's a bit unexpected that Herbert is still dealing with his ankle injury on the other side of the Chargers' Week 5 bye. The 26-year-old has been somewhat underwhelming from a fantasy perspective this year, completing 59 of 91 passes for 578 yards, five touchdowns, and two turnovers. As of now, he's trending toward playing against the Denver Broncos in Week 6 and should be treated as a mid-to-low QB2 for the time being.

From RotoBaller

Jauan Jennings Oct 9 11:10pm CT
Jauan Jennings

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings will face the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Thursday night. In Week 5, Jennings fell back into his expected role after a huge fantasy performance in Week 3 as a replacement for an injured Deebo Samuel Sr. and securing the team lead in targets in Week 4. Against Arizona last week, Jennings posted one reception on four targets. On the bright side, three of those targets came while he was in the end zone. As exciting as Jennings has been, it was never realistic to think that Jennings would usurp a healthy Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel Sr., and George Kittle to maintain consistent fantasy relevance. Jennings will probably still mix in a touchdown here and there, but with the whole squad healthy, he should be kept on benches or in the free-agent pool outside of the deepest leagues in Week 6.

From RotoBaller

Deebo Samuel Oct 9 10:50pm CT
Deebo Samuel

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. will try to rebound from a weak performance when the team takes on the Seahawks in Seattle on Thursday night. In Week 5 Samuel Sr. was very quiet, finishing with one catch on three targets for 11 yards. He also took three carries for just nine yards. Samuel Sr. is on a bit of a cold streak. After opening the season with two strong games -- producing 16.2 and 14 half-PPR points -- he missed one game due to a calf injury. In the two games since his return, Samuel Sr. is averaging 34.5 yards per game and no touchdowns while his combined 8 targets are fewer than he garnered in either of the aforementioned productive contests. Seattle will be missing a few pieces on defense, most notably starting CB Riq Woolen (ankle), but they have given up the 10th-fewest points to opposing fantasy receivers in Yahoo default scoring. Samuel Sr. will be in the thick of the WR2 landscape when he laces up on Thursday night.

From RotoBaller

Brandon Aiyuk Oct 9 10:20pm CT
Brandon Aiyuk

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk will look to maintain momentum in Seattle where the team faces the Seahawks on Thursday. After four consecutive sub-par performances, Aiyuk finally broke out in Week 5 at home against Arizona by snagging eight of 12 targets for 147 yards. Seattle has been relatively stingy this year against opposing wide receivers in fantasy, ranking 10th-toughest in the league, however, the Seahawks' defense is banged up this week with starters ruled out and three more contributors questionable. Most importantly for Aiyuk, they'll be without starting CB Riq Woolen (ankle). Aiyuk will look for his first touchdown of the season as he checks in as a back-end WR1 in Week 6.

From RotoBaller

Jordan Mason Oct 9 9:30pm CT
Jordan Mason

San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason is in Seattle for a Week 6 matchup against the Seahawks on Thursday night. Last week, Mason disappointed as an RB1 by compiling 89 yards on 14 carries, no touchdowns, one reception for nine yards, and a catastrophic fourth-quarter red-zone fumble. He comes into this matchup as the RB5 overall in Yahoo default points per game. Seattle has been middle-of-the-road in stopping opposing running backs, allowing 20.3 PPG -- most recently allowing 133 yards to New York Giants backs Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Eric Gray. 49ers rookie running back Isaac Guerendo matched his modest season-high five carries last week versus Arizona, which preserves Mason's bell cow status but this might be the week that Guerendo gets more involved given the short turnaround of a Thursday game after Mason's season-long heavy workload. Nevertheless, Mason remains a high-end RB1 in this one.

From RotoBaller

Zamir White Oct 9 9:30pm CT
Zamir White

Las Vegas Raiders running back Zamir White (groin) was again a non-participant at practice on Wednesday. White has yet to log even a limited session after picking up a groin injury in practice a week ago. Las Vegas was down a few notable offensive players today, with wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (ankle) popping up as a DNP, too. The 25-year-old has begun the year on the wrong foot despite being given the opportunity to lead this backfield on the ground. Head coach Antonio Pierce had already been on record last week stating that Alexander Mattison had earned more work, and he will likely garner most of the backfield touches for the second week in a row if White can't play. Running back Ameer Abdullah mixed in for five carries and 42 yards -- including a score and a long gain of 40 yards -- while adding nine yards and three catches on three targets and projects to mix in behind Mattison yet again. The team will face off against a stout Pittsburgh Steelers defense in Week 6.

From RotoBaller

Jakobi Meyers Oct 9 9:20pm CT
Jakobi Meyers

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (ankle) received a DNP tag for his first practice opportunity of the week, but "seems fine," per Vic Tafur of The Athletic. It's a new injury for Meyers, but evidently, fantasy managers have nothing to worry about for now. Star wideout Davante Adams (hamstring) also remained a non-participant, and DJ Turner (hamstring) and Tyreik McAllister (shoulder) were both limited. Tre Tucker is currently the only Las Vegas wideout without a designation. If Meyers can play, he'll resume his role as the de facto WR1 for the team in stead of Adams. If he can't, Tucker will be an upside mid-to-low-end WR3, with he and rookie tight end sensation Brock Bowers in line for elevated usage. The Raiders will get a difficult matchup when they host the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6.

From RotoBaller

Taysom Hill Oct 9 8:50pm CT
Taysom Hill

New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill (ribs) did not practice Wednesday in the team's first session of the week. It's another day spent on the sidelines for him after being diagnosed with a fractured rib a week ago. It's a good sign for the 34-year-old that his injury has not required a trip to the injured reserve, but it appears he still needs some time to recover after sustaining the injury early in the Saints' Week 4 contest against the Falcons. Teammate Juwan Johnson should continue to see an uptick in snaps while Hill is sidelined, with Foster Moreau also mixing in. The duo could be in store for a busy day in a potential shootout against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad that's put up 30 or more points in 3-of-5 outings. However, the Bucs allow just the tenth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends per game (4.8) in the league thus far, making them one of the less favorable matchups.

From RotoBaller

Adrian Amos Oct 9 8:43pm CT
Adrian Amos

Free-agent S Adrian Amos (Jaguars), free-agent DB Terrell Burgess (Bills), free-agent Zachary Carter (Bengals), free-agent DT Jaleel Johnson (Titans) and free-agent CB Daryl Worley (Ravens) worked out for the San Francisco 49ers Wednesday, Oct. 9.

From TheHuddle

Brock Purdy Oct 9 8:40pm CT
Brock Purdy

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy faces the division-rival Seahawks in Seattle for a Week 6 matchup on Thursday night. In a surprising one-point home loss to the Arizona Cardinals last week, Purdy left something to be desired with a 19-for-35, 244-yard effort, including a touchdown, two interceptions, and 33 yards rushing. Seattle is 11th-best in the NFL at limiting fantasy quarterbacks in Yahoo default scoring. However, the Seahawks are dealing with significant injuries on defense, which boosts Purdy's outlook. Starting defenders CB Riq Woolen, DT Byron Murphy II, and LB Uchenna Nwosu have all been ruled out, plus two linebackers and a safety have been tagged questionable. Running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles/calf) remains on Injured Reserve, but Purdy is otherwise equipped with a fully healthy offense. He'll look to beat projections for just the second time this year as a mid/low QB1.

From RotoBaller

Rachaad White Oct 9 8:30pm CT
Rachaad White

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White (foot) was listed as limited in the team's first practice of the week. The third-year back was efficient in the Buccaneers' 36-30 loss to the Falcons last Thursday night, averaging 7.2 yards per carry over his ten rush attempts. However, he appeared to be bent awkwardly while being taken to the ground by an Atlanta defender. White returned to the contest after leaving the field but did not look to be 100%. It's an encouraging sign that he could practice in at least a limited fashion, but fantasy managers will want to monitor his status over the coming days. Rookie running back Bucky Irving will handle most of the running back touches if White can't play. The 25-year-old has improved his efficiency on the ground over the last two weeks and still leads this backfield in snaps. However, the former fourth-round pick has closed the snap-share gap since Week 3. Atlanta gets a formidable opponent in Week 6 when they take on the New Orleans Saints on the road.

From RotoBaller

Trey Palmer Oct 9 8:20pm CT
Trey Palmer

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Trey Palmer (concussion) was listed as a non-participant for the team's first practice of the week. The 23-year-old has been on the shelf since Tampa Bay's Week 4 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles when he picked up a concussion. Palmer will have two more opportunities to upgrade his practice participation ahead of a Week 6 road tilt against the New Orleans Saints. If he can't, he'll be at risk of missing his second-straight contest. Wideouts Jalen McMillan (hamstring) and Kameron Johnson (ankle) were each able to get in limited sessions on Wednesday. If Palmer can't play on Sunday, that duo would be in line to pick up more snaps behind Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Sterling Shepherd. Shepherd has the third-most WR snaps for the team over the last two weeks.

From RotoBaller